Attitudes Carry Downers North, H-f

Strange haircuts aside, members of the top-ranked Downers Grove North boys volleyball team refuse to crack under pressure.

On the other hand, happy-go-lucky Homewood-Flossmoor, which has been practically invisible until the state tournament, has decided not to acknowledge any.

The teams with the contrary upbringings clash at 1 p.m. Saturday in the semifinals of the state volleyball tournament at Fremd High School in Palatine.

"Winning like this is not a lot of fun," Downers North coach Ray Butkus said after his team held off stubborn Buffalo Grove 15-10, 15-13 Friday to advance. "But these guys never feel the pressure. I'm the one who's a nervous wreck. They're calm and cool, so I guess it's OK as long as they remember I'm the one with the older heart."

Ryan Schmidt, who led Homewood-Flossmoor (24-11) past Loyola 15-8, 15-10 in the quarterfinals, got his wish to play Downers North (36-1). It was a decision he reached without deliberation.

"I'd definitely rather play them," Schmidt said, "because they're No. 1. It'll be great to be the underdogs."

At this point, with just four teams left in the tournament, nobody is really an underdog. But Downers North's balance-five players have over 165 kills each, led by James Mickus' 248-gives it a clear advantage.

Sean O'Malley can set forwards, backwards and sideways, and he does. That constantly befuddles opposing team's blockers.

"It's good and bad being No. 1," said O'Malley. "The good part is that a lot of teams are scared. The bad is that everyone is really pumped to beat you."

Buffalo Grove (27-9-1), backed by an impressively vocal crowd, was clearly ready to play. But after losing Game 1, the Bison fell behind 7-0 in Game 2.

Refusing to fold, Buffalo Grove began chipping away at the lead, making a painstakingly slow climb back into the game. The Bison survived four match points, and pulled within 14-13. Just when it seemed like they'd reached the top of a mountain, junior Dave Erpenbach knocked Buffalo Grove back down with his game-winning kill.

"Play was labored in the second game," said Butkus. "It wasn't a big shift in momentum, but a gradual thing. They were really pushing."

Stopping Homewood-Flossmoor's Schmidt will be Downers North's prime task. That was something Loyola (30-6) wasn't able to do.

"Schmidt had 16 kills? Are you sure?" asked Loyola coach Bob Erlenbaugh. "It seemed like he had about 46."

Schmidt touched the ball at least that many times, but Loyola's biggest problem was its own unforced errors. The Ramblers didn't look ready to play from the beginning and a late bus didn't help matters.

A few early blocks on Loyola's Marko Andrus, who finished with 10 kills, also snuffed out the team's fire.

"The team goal is the only thing left to get," said Schmidt, an All-Stater and the only starter back from last year's Elite Eight qualifier. "I've done all I can do. Now, the team needs to win."